Oakland University Libraries acquire, preserve, and disseminate knowledge through expertly curated collections. We offer engaging learning experiences and innovative, safe, and welcoming spaces for our diverse community. The University Libraries’ services and resources support student success, facilitate research, and promote lifelong learning.
On this OU Day of Giving:
Please consider a gift to the following fund:
- The Affordable Education Materials Gift Fund helps OU Libraries address the rising cost of textbooks and reduces the financial barriers to academic success through the use of open educational resources. Students are sometimes faced with the decision between purchasing a textbook, paying rent, buying groceries, or putting gas in their car. Help reduce or eliminate the cost of expensive textbooks for OU students! CHALLENGE ALERT: If 45 donors support the Affordable Education Materials Gift Fund today, it will unlock generous gifts from members of the Kresge Library Advisory Board and friends of Kresge in the amount of $2,000.
How do Affordable Education Materials and OER help students?
- By incentivizing faculty through a stipend program, we have been able to transition 15 courses to use low and no-cost materials, saving students thousands of dollars every semester!
- Students can now identify courses in SAIL that use affordable materials before they register for a class
- Funding helps OU purchase additional library-licensed e-books
- Supports essential faculty education and training programs around OER
- OER supports equity in education to give traditionally underserved students equal access to high-quality learning materials
- This program also supports the “Textbook on Reserve” program at the library to give students access to more than 120 high price textbooks for courses with the highest enrollments.
In the first year of the stipend program, OU professors in five courses adopted the use of open educational resources. These five courses alone saved 229 students up to $40,000 in one semester. These cost savings continue every semester!
One OU alum who makes a gift by 9:00 P.M. will earn an additional $500 in matching funds.
Congratulations to our winner Kevin Taylor! An additional $500 in matching funds will follow your gift to the Affordable Education Materials Gift Fund.
